Fountain Design

Griffin decided that the first 100 degree day of the summer would be a good time to build a fountain. We already had two fountain kits with pumps and sprayer attachments, as well as a metal bucket, pitcher, and saucers from the last time we built a fountain. Griffin reminded Mom that the pump from the old kit was not safe to use because the grounding prong from the plug had broken off and he didn't want to shock birds by accident.

Dad told Griffin that it was a good idea to make a temporary fountain setup. That way, if we ever figure out how to convert it to solar power, we can choose a better location that won't have to be so close to the back door. For the first configuration of the fountain, Griffin attached a length of clear tubing directly to the pump. With the tubing curved around the bottom of the metal tub and held in place by a brick, the water created a whirlpool. Griffin decided that he wanted the pump to be more hidden. Next, he stacked bricks inside the tub on either side of the pump and added a flat rock.  He threaded the clear tubing up through the hole in the bottom of the metal pitcher. It poured water directly onto the flat rock. Then he tried it with a metal saucer underneath. That was Mom's favorite design. We unplugged it overnight because we didn't want a raccoon to knock over the pitcher while the pump was on. The parts are not attached- just balanced so they can be moved around.

The next day, Griffin decided to take apart the fountain and redesign it. He added a splitter so that some of the water goes through the clear tube, and some of it goes up through a sprinkler attachment which sprays water in a dome shape. Griffin found that he could disrupt the smooth sheet of water by sticking his finger in the pathway. He aimed the jet of water from the clear tube so that it would disrupt the shape too. 

One fountain design that Griffin made a few years ago used pvc pipes and a lawn chair in a wading pool. He could sit in the lawn chair and the fountain would shower water on his head. It was a fun idea for a hot day, and he liked it because the recirculating fountain used less water than a lawn sprinkler.